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Each month I will give you parts of my books published and unpublished. Newsletter subscribers will receive the entire chapter. This is only a portion of it. Since Jasper is coming out next month, I'm continuing to share books from the series. ______________________________________________________ This is copyrighted material. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information browsing, storage, or retrieval system, without permission in writing to Carla Reighard. _______________________________________________________________________________ The high domed ceiling had murals of fantastical creatures soaring on them, like the great Leonardo da Vinci himself had painted them. What made the images even more spectacular was they seemed to move as if they were live creatures trapped inside each depiction. In the center of the library was a cozy section of furniture that looked ornate yet perfectly designed for the comfort of one who was hunkering down to read for a long time. A fireplace was also located in the center and the furniture encircled it to make the area feel welcoming.
The first floor shelves were too high to reach all the books so ladders that reached the top, each with rollers, leaned against the book cases so it would be easy to retrieve any tome in the massive room. “What is this place?” Bella was overcome with wonder. “It’s my secret. Well, now it’s our secret. This place is magical.” “It looks spectacular, but you don’t mean that it’s actually supernatural?” “That’s exactly what I mean. When I first arrived here, it looked like a typical abandoned house with dust and cobwebs, but I began to wish for things and they just appeared. The library was always here, and this is where I did the wishing.” “I don’t understand what you mean.” “It’s easier to show you.” Layney walked to the ladder nearest the door and scooted it down to the middle section of the shelves. She climbed up a few steps and perused the books until she found what she wanted. After she pulled the book off the shelf, she made her way down the ladder and handed the book—titled Christmas Home Interior Decorating—to Bella. “Which decorations do you think would look good in this room?” Layney asked. Bella was still confused, but she grabbed the book and flipped through it until she found a photo of the perfect tree and ornaments she thought would complement the already breathtaking library. “These decorations would be beautiful here, but super expensive, and I’m not quite sure what that has to do with—” Before Bella could finish her sentence, the room began to fill with evergreen garlands wrapped in gold, silver, and blue ribbons—a smell like something sweet, mixed with pine and cinnamon wafted in the air. A fairy tale Christmas setting began to unfurl before Bella’s eyes. Next, a tall fir tree popped out of mid-air and stood erect in the middle of the room. As she watched, the tree began to fill up with garland, lights, and ornaments that looked exactly like the ones in the book that Bella had. “What is going on here?” Bella asked in awe. “Like I said, you have to see to believe that this place is magical. That’s not all. Are you hungry? Do you want a holiday treat?” “I wasn’t until you said something, but—” Layney interrupted, “Wouldn’t a nice cup of hot chocolate filled with marshmallows, and a plate of Christmas cookies, hit the spot?” Two piping-hot cups of cocoa, with a plate of delicious looking cookies, suddenly appeared on a table near one of the lounge chairs. “How are you doing that?” Bella asked Layney. “I’m not. This house—or the books—are making it happen. I don’t know where the magic is coming from. I just know I can get things from books I read.” “So what happens if I read a book about dragons? Do they suddenly appear?” “Fictional books are different magic than the non-fiction. The Christmas decoration book was non-fiction. The treats I conjured up were inside a cookbook I found in this library. I don’t have to even read the book anymore to get the treats to appear. I just have to talk about what I want from what I previously read. Even if I didn’t read about it, as long as it is in one of these books, it appears.” “Have you read a fictional story in here?” “Actually, I have, and it got a little scary.” “How?” Bella’s curiosity was exploding out of her pores. |
Ramblings on life, travels, & books
Carla Reighard Archives
December 2023
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